There is no single ‘right’ way to build recovery; people are too complex for that.

However, people experience similar challenges during the first month of sobriety and in general, people who don’t learn any recovery skills have difficulty moving past this first period.

Many of these challenges, like fluctuating
emotions or thinking problems, are brain-healing side effects. These side effects don’t last forever, but they can provoke relapse.

The longer and harder you were drinking or using, the
more recovery challenges you can expect to face, fortunately, you can reduce their relapse-provoking influence by learning
coping strategies.

No matter how healthy, determined and optimistic you feel
after detox, your brain is still healing and you’ll have to deal with lingering
thinking and emotional issues that compromise your ability to stay abstinent.

Hope and a few days of detox probably aren’t
enough. After detox you should continue on with some form of addiction
treatment to learn coping strategies for the challenges
of very early abstinence.

Read on for:

A list of some common obstacles of early recovery

How to avoid these recovery-killers

A brief overview of what you’ll learn in an addiction
treatment program

4 signs that your recovery is on the right track

Recovery Challenges of the First 30 Days

Here’s a quick list, in no particular order, of
common weird, annoying and frustrating challenges of the first
period of abstinence.1

Most people won’t experience all of the following, but you should prepare yourself for at least a few.

You feel a sense of loss over the fact that you can’t drink
or use anymore. You grieve this loss.

You feel like all the fun is gone from your future. Being
clean and sober feels like an endless punishment.

You feel intense frustration when faced with even the
smallest challenges after you realize you can’t handle these ‘problems’ with
drinking or drugs.

You feel a deep sense of loss over the still-using friends and family
you can’t see as much of anymore.

Emotional pain from your past resurfaces as if out of
nowhere

You feel anxious or depressed

You can’t think straight.

You feel overwhelmed.

Your memory is even worse sober than it was when you were
using or drinking

You have a hard time resisting impulsive thoughts.

You have a hard time making any decisions or committing to
anything.

You can’t sleep.

You feel stressed out.

You lose your physical coordination.

You forget how to do very normal everyday things.

You find yourself spacing out, even during important
moments.

Your emotions are volatile and extreme. You can jump from
despair to boundless optimism in no-time.

How to Overcome Early Abstinence Challenges

Expect to face obstacles.

If you have a substance use disorder, know that recovery
takes work. Recovery isn’t passive – it’s not just a matter of not drinking or
not using – it’s an active process of rebuilding your life.

Get some form of professional addiction treatment (see what you’ll learn in treatment in the list below).

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